The Carnival Atmosphere and the Anti-normative Nature of Qalandari Poetry

Document Type : Research article

Author

Associate Professor of Department of Religions and Mysticism, Tak, c. Islamic Azad University, Takestan, Iran

Abstract

Qalandariyat in Persian literature is generally regarded as a type of symbolic poetry that reflects the experiences and spiritual emotions of its poets through the use of allegories, symbols, and mystical metaphors. However, this type of poetry can also be considered a unique literary form that acts as a powerful counter-genre against other poetic forms by critiquing prevalent norms and literary and social conventions and challenging them. This study, without reducing the dynamic poetic imagery of this genre solely to predetermined archetypes and Sufi symbols, examines its unique poetic structure while considering the inter-genre relationships of Qalandariyat with some dominant normative genres. The findings of the research indicate that the interaction of Qalandari poetry with genres such as praise, pride, and sermon leads to the emergence of a new type of poetry in which unconventional phenomena and elements with anti-normative characteristics are displayed in spaces akin to Mikhail Bakhtin’s “carnival,” where all values, norms, and social hierarchies are inverted.

Keywords

References

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Persian Language and Literature
Volume 78, Issue 252
December 2025
Pages 184-162

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History

  • Receive Date: 19 August 2025
  • Revise Date: 26 September 2025
  • Accept Date: 15 October 2025
  • Publish Date: 22 December 2025

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